Actuator



March 23, 1954 M. DUNKELBERGER 2,672,766

ACTUATOR Filed Jan. 21, 1950 INVENTOR. M/L TON 5. DUN/(61365655 BY 4 i/ H/SAITTOP/VEVJ Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ACTUATOR Milton S. Dunkelberger, Dayton, Ohio Application January 21, 1950, Serial No. 139,825

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an actuator and more particularly to an actuator wherein the direction of movement may be clockwise or counterclockwise, as may be found desirable.

An object of this invention is to provide an actuator which might be referred to as a prime mover, which is so constructed and arranged that the direction of rotation or direction of movement may be reversed by merely reversing the relative position of the actuator with respect to its support.

Another object of this invention is to provide a speed changing device and an electric motor assembly that are so arranged that the assembly may be supported through the speed changing device in such a manner that the direction of retation may be reversed by orienting the position of the speed changing device and the motor assembly relative to the parts to be driven.

Another object of thi invention is to provide a gear box provided with two sets of symmetrically disposed supporting members, such that one set of supporting members is used in supporting the gear box when the output movement is in one direction and the other set of supporting members is used in supporting the gear box when the output movement is in the opposite direction.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an actuator mounted upon the rear of a sign board.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device disclosed. in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of a device similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, having attached thereto a crank arm used in intermittently operating a member to be actuated.

Figure 4 discloses a worm gear and a tubular shaft upon which the worm gear is mounted.

Figure 5 is another view of the worm gear used in illustrating the method of securing a drive shaft thereto.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary end view, as seen. from the left of Figure 5.

Figure 7 discloses a crank shaft adapted to be driven by the device disclosed herein.

In the drawings, the reference character H3 indicates a, sign board displaying a movable sign which has not been shown, for the reason that the device disclosed herein may be used in actuating various types of movable signs or other movable mechanism. To the rear of the sign board is is mounted a speed changing device I 2 and an electric motor It.

The speed changing device includes a gear case i5 consisting of two identical halves I6, each provided with three tubular supporting extensions l8, forming a three-point support for the gear case. The two halves are secured together by means of a pair of screws 28. Mounting screws 22 extend through the tubular extensions I8 of both halves it of the casing i 5 and either extend through or are secured to the sign board It].

Reducing gears 28 and is are mounted within the casing it. The gear 28, which in this particular disclosure is a worm gear, is fixedly attached to a hollow shaft 26 journalled in suitable bearings E l, there being one bearing in each half it. The worm gear 28 meshes with a worm 36 that is keyed to a shaft 32 journalled in suitable bearings in the casing it. Although the gear mechanism has been shown as speed reducing gears, these could be speed increasing gears.

A V-belt pulley Si is keyed to the shaft 32. This pulley it is driven by a V-belt 36 passing over a V-belt pulley keyed to an armature shaft of the electric motor I l. The stator of the motor id is supported upon a pair of identical brackets 42, the upper end of which is attached to the gear casing l 6 by means of a pair of screws 4 as viewed in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Each of the brackets :32 is provided with flanges it straddling the sides of the stator of the motor 'I i and secured thereto by means of a bolt 48. The two brackets ii! are identical and interchangeable. These brackets diverging from the casing i5 cooperate to support the motor M in such a manner that the motor is mounted in spaced relation from the rear of the sign board H3. The diverging arrangement of the brackets 32 results in a rigid support for the motor. By energizing the motor it, it can readilybefiseen that the motor drives the hollow shaft 26 through the v-helt 3t passing over the V-belt pulleys 38 and ti t through the drive shaft 32 keyed to the worm Bil meshing with the worm gear 26.

As may best be seen by referring to Figures 4 and 5, each end of the hollow shaft 26 is provided with V-notches 5i), one pair of which are used for engagement with projections or ears 52 struck out from opposite sides of a drive shaft 54. The end of the drive shaft 54 is provided with threads 56 adapted to threadedly receive a wing nut 5E, so that as the shaft is projected through the hollow shaft 26, the wing nut'58 is used in tightening the shaft with the projections 52 seated and rigidly held in a selected pair of V-notches 50. The threaded end of the shaft 54 is preferably provided with a pair of flattened facets 60. The end of the shaft 5t opposite the threads 58 may be provided with a crank arm it, as shown in Figure 2, projecting through a suitable aperture in the sign board I!) for actuating a suitable pitman or any other traveling member 12. By this arrangement, the shaft 54 may be used to drive any suitable mechanism on the front side of the sign board. Furthermore, a cam, or a pulley, or a crank arm or any other suitable mechanism may be clamped between the wing nut 58 and the adjacent portion of the hollow shaft 26, as shown in Figures 3, 5 and 6.

In Figures 3, 5 and 6 a crank arm M has been mounted between the wing nut 58 and the hollow shaft 26. The aperture receiving the shaft 54 is preferably provided with flattened portions engaging the facets 68, which will non-rotatably hold the crank arm 14 in position. In this particular embodiment the crank arm It has been provided with a crank pin 16 that is mounted in the path of member 18 that may be pivotally mounted at 80 and spring urged into the position shown in Figure 6, but permitted to oscillate about the pivot 80, when the crank pin 16 comes into engagement with the end of member it so as to actuate the end of member 18 in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 6. suitable actuating mechanism may be used. In Figure '7 a shaft 90 has been shown utilising a crank arm 92.

The direction of rotation of the output shaft may easily be reversed. It is merely necessary to remove the wing nut .58 and remove the screws 22. By rotating the assembly as viewed in Figure 2 through an angle of 180 about a vertical axis, so as to position the extensions or projections it now located to the right of Figure 2 against the rear of the sign board, then clamping the assembly in position by inserting and tightening the screws 22 and tightening the nut 58 upon the end of the shaft 54, the direction of rotation is reversed. By seen that it is not necessary to change the motor and it is not necessary to change the gears in order to obtain a reversal of the direction of rotation, but merely rotate the whole assembly so as to connect the drive shaft to the opposite side of the unit.

The drive shaft may be non-rotatably attached in any suitable manner. Instead of having a pair of cars as shown, one ear might be used. Instead of ears, a key might be used or a s uare shaft might be used, or any other suitable arrangement. The shaft that has been shown has been found to give excellent results, is inexpensive to produce and at the same time is dependable.

This arrangement permits the use of the gear casing and the motor assembly as shown herein with various types of signs, whether it is desirable to have the shaft 54 rotate in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction. The direction of rotation may be selected by selecting the proper position of the motion maker or actuator.

Within the purview of this invention, instead or extensions l8 projecting laterally from each half of the casing, these extensions could project from the ends or the halves of the casing. Furthermore, instead of tubular extensions, any other suitable mounting means could be used, providing the mounting means are symetrically Any other this arrangement, it can readily be disposed so as to permit rotation of the mounting means through an angle of to thereby present an opposite end of the shaft to the driving connection, whatever it may happen to be. Although the hollow shaft 26 is mounted in a direction normal to the plane of the sign board, it could be mounted parallel to the plane of the sign board. Reversal through 180 would then also reverse the direction of rotation.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, said actuator including a speed changing device driven by said motor, said speedchanging device including a casing having two identical halves, each of said halves having a plurality of extensions extending outwardly in one direction from the half, means for securing the extensions of one of said halves to a support, a speed changing gear mechanism mounted within the casing, said speed changing gear mechanism including a hollow output shaft, the halves of the casing being provided with bearings in which the hollow shaft is journalled, said hollow shaft projecting out beyond said casing, means for securing the hollow shaft to the output shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being determined by the selection of the extensions on the proper onehalf of the casing such that the hollow shaft rotates in the desired direction.

2. An actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, said actuator including a speed changing device driven by said motor, said speed changing device including a casing having two identical halves, each of said halves having a plurality of extensions extending outwardly in one direction from the half, means for securing the extensions of said halves to a support, the extensions of one of the halves abutting the support, a speed changing gear mechanism mounted within the casing, said speed changing gear mechanism including a worm member and a worm gear member, a motor driven shaft fixedly attached to one of said members, a hollow shaft fixedly attached to the other of said members, said halves having bearings in which the hollow shaft is journalled with the ends of the hollow shaft projecting beyond the casing, the endsof the hollow shaft being provided. with V-shaped notches, said output shaft being nonrotatably attached to the hollow shaft by means of one V-shaped notch, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being determined by the selection of extensions on the proper one-half of the casing abutting the support such that the hollow shaft rotates in the desired direction.

3. An actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, said actuator including a speed changing device driven by said motor, said speed changing device including a casing, a pair of oppositely disposed means adapted to support the casing, means for securing one of said pair of means to a support, a speed changing gear mechanism mounted within the casing, said speed changing gear mechanism including a hollow drive shaft, said hollow drive shaft projecting beyond the casing on opposite sides thereof so that one end of the hollow drive shaft terminates on one side of the casing the other end terminates on the opposite side of the casing, and means for securing the hollow drive shaft to the output shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being reversed by orienting the speed changing device through an angle of 180 so as to support the speed changing device upon the other of said pair of supporting means.

l. An actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, said actuator including a speed changing device driven by said motor, said speed changing device including a casing, a plurality of pairs of oppositely disposed projections, one projection of each pair being located on one side of the casing and the other projection of each pair being located on the opposite side of the casing, means for securing one-half of said projections to a support, a speed changing gear mechanism mounted within the casing, said speed changing gear mechanism including a hollow drive shaft, said hollow drive shaft projecting beyond the casing on opposite sides thereof so that one end of the hollow drive shaft terminates on one side of the casing and the other end terminates on the opposite side of the casing, and means for securing the hollow drive shaft to the output shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being governed by the selected projections used in supporting the casing.

5. An actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, said actuator including a speed changing device driven by said motor, means extending from one side of the speed changing device for supporting the same, like means extendin from the opposite side of said speed changing device adapted to support the same, means associated with both of said supporting means for attaching said speed changing device to a fixed support, said speed changing device including a hollow drive shaft having exposed ends one on either side of the speed changing device, and means for connecting the output shaft to the hollow drive shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being determined by selecting the proper means extending from the speed changing device for supporting the same.

6. An actuator for use in transmitting motion from. an electric motor to an output shaft, said actuator including a speed changing device driven by said motor, means located on one side of said speed changin device adapted to be attached to a support, like means located on the opposite side of said speed changing device also adapted to be attached to a support, means for fixedly attaching a selected one of said means to a fixed support, said speed changing device including a hollow drive shaft having exposed ends one on either side of the speed changing device, and means for connecting the output shaft to the hollow drive shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft depending upon which one of said means is selected for attachment to the fixed support.

7. In an actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, wherein said actuator includes a speed chang" ing device driven by said motor, and wherein said speed changing device includes a casing and a speed changing gear mechanism mounted 6 Within the casing, said actuator being characterized by a pair of oppositely disposed means adapted to support the casing, and a hollow drive shaft included within the speed changing mech anism, the said hollow drive shaft projecting beyond the casing on opposite sides thereof so that one end of the hollow drive shaft terminates on one side of the casing, and the other end terminates on the opposite side of the casing, and means for securing the hollow shaft to the output shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being reversed by orienting the speed changing device through an angle of degrees so as to support the speed changing device upon the other of said pair of supporting means.

8. In an actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, wherein said actuator includes a speed changing device driven by said motor and wherein said speed changing device includes a casing having two identical halves, and wherein a speed changing gear mechanism is mounted within the casing, said speed changing gear mechanism including a worm member and a worm gear member, a motor driven shaft fixedly attached to one of said members, said actuator being characterized by each of said halves having a plurality of extensions extending outwardly in one direction from the half, means for securing the extensions of said halves to a support, a hollow shaft fixedly attached to the other of said members and projecting beyond the casing, the ends of the hollow shaft being provided with v-shaped notches, said output shaft being nonrotatably attached to the hollow shaft by means of one of the V-shaped notches, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being determined by the selection of extensions on the proper one half of the casing abutting the support such that the hollow shaft rotates in the desired direction.

9. In an actuator for use in transmitting motion from an electric motor to an output shaft, wherein said actuator includes a speed changing device driven by said motor and wherein said speed device includes a casing having two identical halves, and wherein a speed changing gear mechanism is mounted within the casing, said speed changing gear mechanism including a worm member and a worm gear member, a motor driven shaft fixedly attached to one of said members, a hollow shaft attached to the other of said members, said actuator being characterized by each of said halves having a plurality of projections extending outwardly therefrom, means for attaching said projections on one half of the casing to a support for supporting the casing, said output shaft being non-rotatably attached to the hollow shaft, the direction of rotation of the output shaft being reversed by orienting the speed changing device through an angle of 180.

MILTON S. DUNKELBERGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATEN'I'S Number Name Date 1,911,666 Beitz May 30 1933 1,923,879 Parsons Aug. 22, 1933 2,266,744 Dunkelberger Dec. 23 1941 2,278,216 Rich Mar. 31, 1942 2,410,217 Just Oct. 29, 1946 

